Pressure container tube connection

ABSTRACT

A tube is connected with a pressure container by a flange end portion located in the container pressing against the holder ring which closes the gap in the opening of the container around the tube. An elastic annular body has a slot into which a flat resilient annular hard disk is partly inserted so that an annular disk portion is clamped between the flange end portion and the holding ring, permitting easy assembly.

ite States Patent I Appl. No.: 260,785

Foreign Application Priority Data June 12, 1971 Germany P 71 22 754.8

US. Cl. 285/208, 138/30 Int. Cl F16] 41/00 Field of Search.. 285/208, 49;

Zirps 5] Jan. 8, 1974 PRESSURE CONTAINER TUBE 2,309,446 1/1943 Ekkebus 1. 277/178 x CONNECTION 3,499,655 3/1970 Czernik et al.. 277/178 x 3,537,481 11/1970 Mercier 277/178 x 5] Inventor: Wilhelm p mg 3,401,958 9/1968 Demyon 285/208 Germany Y [73] Asslgnee: 22:35 GmbH Stuttgart Primary ExaminerThomas F. Callaghan Att0rney-Michael S. Striker [22] Filed: June 8, 1972 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures l PRESSURE CONTAINER TUBE CONNECTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is concerned with a pressure container for a fluid which has an opening into which a tube projects which is secured to the container in such a manner that the connection between the tube and the container is sealed.

The German Pat. TS No. 947,348 discloses an arrangement of this kind in which the tube is held in the container by a holder ring on which a flange of the tube abuts so that the holder ring abuts the inner surface of the container. In order to permit the assembly of the device, the holder ring consists of a great number of rigid arcuate segments which are interconnected by an annular body consisting of an elastomer, such as rubbet, in such a manner that the holder ring can be folded during insertion through the opening of the container, whereupon it resiliently returns to its normal annular position and fills the space between the tube and the adjacent inner surface of the container. The annular body must be adhesively secured to the holder ring, or vulcanized. The device of the prior art has the disadvantage that a separate operation is required for connecting the annular body with the holder ring, so that the manufacturing cost is high. Furthermore, if the holder ring is repeatedly inserted and removed from the container, the elastomer bodymay be overstressed and damaged.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the object of the invention to provide a connection between a pressure container and a tube, which can be easily assembled, is inexpensively manufactured, and can be operated for a long period of time without any disturbance.

With this object in view, the present invention provides an annular body with a thin annular disk consisting of a springy resilient material.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a pressure container has an opening bounded by an annular inner surface portion on which a holder ring abuts. A tube projects through the opening into the container and has in the container an outward projecting flange portion. An elastic annular body surrounds the flange portion and abuts the inner annular surface portion outward of the holder ring; A thin elastic annular disk is secured to the annular elastic body, preferably set into a slot of the same, and has an' inner annular disk portion located between the flange portion and the holder ring so that all parts are securely attached to the tube when an abutment means, such as a nut threaded onto the tube abuts the container.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the annular connector members of the embodiment of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary axial sectional view of a detail.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first to FIG. 1, a pressure container 11 has an opening, and contains an elastic container bubble whose wall consists of an elastic material, and which divides the interior of container 11 into a space for a liquid and a space for a gas.

A tube 14, having an axial bore 15, projects through the opening 13 into the interior of container 11, forming an annular gap between the outer surface 21 of tube 14 and the inner annular surface of the opening 13.

A support 16a is secured in the bore 15 of tube 14, and supports a valve body 16 which is biased by spring 16b to the illustrated position. Valve body 16 cooperates with a valve seat 16c, and controls the flow of the pressure medium into and out of the container, preventing entering of the expanding bubble 12 into the bore 15 of tube 14 when the container 11 is emptied of liquid.

The upper end portion of tube 14 is constructed as a flange end portion 17 with an annular shoulder 18. The outer diameter of the flange end portion 17, 18 is slightly less than the diameter of the opening 13 so that the tube 14 can be inserted through opening 13 into the interior of container 11.

The opening 13 is bounded by an annular inner surface portion lla of the inner surface of the container wall 11. A holder ring 19 has an annular top face located opposite the annular shoulder 18. Holder ring 19 tightly surrounds the outer surface 21 of tube 14 adjacent shoulder 18, and also abuts the inner part of the annular inner surface portion 1 1a, A tubular portion 23 of holder ring 19 projects into the gap between the inner surface of opening 13 and the outer surface 21 of the tube 14. A sealing ring 30 is located in opening 13 adjacent the tubular portion 23, and rests on abutment means 31.

Holder ring 19 has a curved surface portion 22 matching the curvature between the annular inner surface portion lla and the inner surface of the opening 13. On the periphery of the holder ring 19, two flat portions 20 are provided so that the width b of the holder ring 19 between the flat portions 20 is less than the diameter of opening 13.

The space between the flange end portion 17 and the inner surface portion 11a is taken up by an annular elastic body 24 which consists of an elastomer having the properties of rubber. The annular elastic body 24 is shown on an enlarged scale in FIG. 3 from which it is apparent that it has an annular inner slot 25 between two stepped circular surfaces 24a and 24b in which the annular peripheral portion of a springy resilient flat annular hard disk 26 isembedded. An adhesive connection or vulcanizing of the parts 24, 26 is not necessary, since the annular disk 26 cannot slip out of the annular slot 25. Preferably, the annular disk consist of spring steel.

Due to the resiliency of the annular disk, the annular elastic body 24, together with annular disk 26, can be easily folded to a non-circular shape in which it can be inserted through the opening 13 into the container. Due to the high resiliency of the annular disk 26, the annular elastic body 24 is returned to its normal annular condition when released in the interior of container 11.

The inner annular disk portion 26 is located between the top surface of holder ring 19 and the shoulder 18 of flange portion 17 in an operative condition of the device. When the nut 32 is turned on a threaded portion of tube 14, it presses against an annular outer surface portion of container 11 surrounding the opening 13, so that the shoulder 18 is pressed against the inner annular disk portion 26a which in turn presses against top face of the holder ring 19 which abuts the annular inner surface portion lla of container wall 11, so that all parts are firmly secured to each other. However, the annular elastic body 24 does not support or hold the tube 14 in the container, which is accomplished only by the holder ring 19, 23.

In order to assemble the device, tube 14 is inserted into the container ll through the opening 13 with the flange end portions 17,18 leading. Thereupon, the holder ring 19 is inserted, and finally, the annular elastic body 24 with the inserted annular disk 26 which requires folding and bending of the annular elastic body 24 and of annular disk 26 since the greatest diameter of the elastic body 24 is greater than the diameter of the opening 13. Holder ring 19 is placed in the correct position as shown in FIG. 1, and finally, the elastic annular body 24 is placed on the holder ring 19 in the illustrated position. The flange end portion 17 of tube 14 is then pushed through the holder ring 19 until its annular shoulder 18 abuts the inner annular disk portion 26a. lt follows, that the annular elastic body 14 does not perform any holding or supporting function for the tube 14.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of connections between a pressure container and a tube, differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a connection between a pressure container and a tube including an annular elastic body into which an annular steel disk is inserted, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can,

by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art,fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Pressure container tube connection, comprising a pressure container having an opening bounded by an annular inner surface portion; a holder ring abutting said annular inner surface portion and having a tubular portion located in an annular gap between said tube and said opening fitting into said gap; a tube projecting through said opening into said container and having in said container an outward projecting flange portion having a diameter smaller than the diameter of said opening and forming an annular shoulder; an annular elastic sealing body consisting of an elastomer surrounding said flange portion and abutting said annular inner surface portion, said elastic body having an annular slot; a thin elastic annular disc consisting of an elastic hard material and being partly inserted into said slot so as to carry said body, said disc having an inner annular disc portion held between said flange portion and said holder ring said inner annular disc portion having a diameter equal to the outer diameter of said tube adjacent said annular shoulder so that said shoulder abuts said inner annular disc portion resting on said holder ring; and abutment means secured to said tube outside of said container abutting said container so that said tube is secured to said container.

2. Pressure container tube connection as claimed in claim 1, wherein said elastic annular hard disk consists of springy steel; and wherein said annular elastic body consists of an elastomer.

3. Pressure container tube connection as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tube has a threaded portion outside of said container; and wherein said abutment means includes a nut means threaded onto said threaded portion to a position pressing against an outer annular surface portion of said container surrounding said opening so that said flange end portion clamps said inner annular disk portion against said holder ring. 

1. Pressure container tube connection, comprising a pressure container having an opening bounded by an annular inner surface portion; a holder ring abutting said annular inner surface portion and having a tubular portion located in an annular gap between said tube and said opening fitting into said gap; a tube projecting through said opening into said container and having in said container an outward projecting flange portion having a diameter smaller than the diameter of said opening and forming an annular shoulder; an annular elastic sealing body consisting of an elastomer surrounding said flange portion and abutting said annular inner surface portion, said elastic body having an annular slot; a thin elastic annular disc consisting of an elastic hard material and being partly inserted into said slot so as to carry said body, said disc having an inner annular disc portion held between said flange portion and said holder ring said inner annular disc portion having a diameter equal to the outer diameter of said tube adjacent said annular shoulder so that said shoulder abuts said inner annular disc portion resting on said holder ring; and abutment means secured to said tube outside of said container abutting said container so that said tube is secured to said container.
 2. Pressure container tube connection as claimed in claim 1, wherein said elastic annular hard disk consists of springy steel; and wherein said annular elastic body consists of an elastomer.
 3. Pressure container tube connection as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tube has a threaded portion outside of said container; and wherein said abutment meanS includes a nut means threaded onto said threaded portion to a position pressing against an outer annular surface portion of said container surrounding said opening so that said flange end portion clamps said inner annular disk portion against said holder ring. 